CANTON — Antoine Robinson returned the opening kickoff 93 yards to give Canton a quick lead, but it was all Vicksburg after that as the Gators scored 40 straight points on the way to a 40-14 victory Friday night to keep their playoff hopes alive.

“We finally put a complete game together, played well in all areas and kind of dominated the game,” Vicksburg coach Lorenzo Breland said.

The Gators (3-6, 3-2 Region 2-5A) won for the third time in four games. They can clinch the No. 3 seed from the region by beating Callaway next week, in a Thursday night game at Newell Field in Jackson.
Canton (5-5, 1-4) lost for the fourth time in five games.

It will be a short week of practice and the Gators will be facing a tough foe.

“But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Breland said. “That’s what we’ve been talking about. Just winning one game at a time. I’m definitely proud and excited for the guys.”

After giving up the TD to start the game, Vicksburg responded on its opening drive with quarterback Joe Johnson finding De’Angelo Dixon for the 15-yard TD pass. Greg Hayden ran in a 2-point conversion after a bobbled snap on the extra point to give the Gators an 8-7 lead with 8:04 to play in the opening quarter.

The Gators added a safety with a sack in the end zone by Deandre Moore to take a 10-7 lead in the second quarter, and Hayden blasted a 52-yard field goal to make it 13-7.

Mike Sullivan, who had three sacks on the night, recovered a fumble with less than three minutes remaining in the half at the Canton 33, and Johnson capitalized on the turnover with a 30-yard touchdown run with 1:56 to play in the second quarter. Hayden’s extra point made it a 20-7 ballgame.

Vicksburg’s defense came up big again to pad the lead before halftime. Jo’Mon O’Neal had a scoop and score with a 32-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the final minute to make it 27-7.

Late in the third quarter, the Gators’ Alec Bailey scored on an end around with 1:49 to play to increase the margin to 34-7, and Malik Shelly added the final touchdown of the night with a 60-yard run.